A Noble Sacrifice
by Smudgeandfrank
Summary: Usopp, Luffy, and Chopper were ready to throw their plan into action as they studied the blueprint on the ground. The goal? Steal Sanji's stash of fresh chocolate chip cookies. But the operation was not as flawless as they had thought.


Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp all crowded around the blue print stretched out on the workshop floor as they carefully planned for a frontal attack. Their goal?

"MESHI!" Luffy whined anxiously.

"SHH!" Usopp hissed. "You have to be quiet! If anybody catches us then the plan will be DONE FOR! You know what that means don't you?"

"No meshi?" Luffy asked sadly with wide eyes. Usopp nodded.

"Exactly."

"But I can't make it to dinner tonight without food NOW! I'm starving!" Luffy sighed as he sprawled out on the ground and put his hand over his growling stomach.

"Luffy's right… I'm so hungry… and Sanji is making those cookies that just smell SO GOOD!" The cute reindeer rubbed his grumbling stomach and sniffed the air. "I can even smell them down here! ... But he's saving them for tonight and Sanji will probably give Robin and Nami most of them." He whined. Usopp nodded again.

"And that's why this plan has to go off without a hitch if any of us are going to get a hand on them and eat before we die of starvation." Usopp gave out an exaggerated sigh as his stomach roared along side his companions before sitting up straight on the floor, puffing out his chest a little, and pointed to the blueprint. "So, if you guys are prepared to risk your safety in the name of this mission I suggest we go over the plan one last time." Luffy sprung up from the floor with an enthusiastic nod and Chopper leaned closer to the blue paper. The blue print had a very detailed drawing of the galley that the great artist and inventor Captain Usopp had drawn himself and a numbered off list of steps.

"Okay. First of we start with you Chopper. What do you do?"

"First I call Sanji to come out of the kitchen and help me with a new medicine that requires his cooking knowledge." Chopper started. "After he finishes I'll keep him occupied by telling him that I saw a picture of Nami naked down in our room!" Chopper added with a quiet giggle.

"Right." Usopp stated, knowing that his picture idea would send the cook into a frenzy searching through the men's quarters. "And then Luffy and I will head into the galley after Sanji leaves." Usopp said, pointing at the door to the galley. "Now, Sanji's put the cookies in his safe like always but if you and I can make it without being seen, I can pick the lock no problem." Usopp said to Luffy. "But what does that mean for you?" Usopp asked Luffy, seeing if he remembered his instructions.

"I have to be quiet!" Luffy cheered, ready to get on with the plan. "Now come on guys! Let's go let's go!" Luffy was ready to bolt straight into the galley and take the entire safe with him even if Sanji was there but Usopp reached out quickly, snagged his captain's rubbed ankle and pulled him back down onto the floor.

"Don't even think about it. Do you want Sanji to kick you into the ocean again just to show you what happens when you try to steal food when he EXPLICITLY told you to wait until dinner?" Luffy sighed and looked at his best friend like a sad puppy.

"No…" He whimpered.

"Right again. Now we have to be super careful on this operation you two. Now, let's go and get those cookies!"

"HAI!"

* * *

"SANJI!"

Chopper walked into the galley after he chuckled excitedly one more time and looked up at the cook who was cooking something next to the stove. "Oh, hey Chopper! What's up?" He asked as he wiped off his hands with a towel on the counter top next to him.

"I was wondering if you could help me with something." Chopper said as he walked over to the cook and showed him a bowl of mixed herbs. "I have to use these to make a new medicine and I really need you to help me."

"Why's that? I'm not a great doctor like you Chopper." The reindeer turned and squirmed, danced and laughed, and blushed like there was no tomorrow.

"You-you can't make me happy ass-hole! Bastard!" Chopper tried to regain his slim composure then without spilling any information about the plan and smiled. "W-well, I need someone with cooking skills to help me mix the right herbs and ingredients so that no one gets sick from a bad mixture. Can you help me?" Sanji looked at the pan he had on the stove and then turned down the temperature so that nothing would burn in the time that he was away.

"Sure, I'll help you out." Sanji said with a smile. "I'll just need to check the vegetables in a minute or two or else they'll burn, but I'll help you as much as I can." Chopper nodded, a little nervous now, and lead Sanji from the galley, down the stairs, to the infirmary, and closed the door behind him as he saw Usopp and Luffy preparing to sneak up the stairs. Usopp looked left and right for anyone coming before rushing into the galley and shut the door silently behind him. Luffy was already to the safe and knowing on the large metal box.

"Shit. We need to do this quick or else Sanji's gonna come back and catch us when he stirs the vegetables." The sniper hurried to the safe and pushed Luffy's mouth out of the way before getting out his trusted needle with a bent end to pick the lock. Luffy was bouncing around anxiously as Usopp started to wiggle the needle back in forth with small clicks following each movement.

"Comeoncomeoncomeoncomeon!" Luffy repeated again and again and a bead of sweat ran down Usopp's forehead.

"I'm trying, I'm trying! Just be PATIENT!" There was then a loud click that made Usopp smile as he withdrew the needle and turned a small dial on the door. "Awesome! I'm in! Time to eat some-!" Usopp gasped when he opened the door. Luffy bounded to his side excitedly.

"What is it? Are the cookies even better… than…" The both stared silently at the safe…

"IT HAS TWO DOORS?" Luffy yelped fearfully as Usopp pulled on his hair.

"AND THIS ONE HAS A COMBINATION LOCK! DAMMIT SANJI! SINCE WHEN DID YOU GET SNEAKY?" They both flinched when they heard two sets of footsteps coming towards the door. Luffy panicked and ran to the galley entrance and Usopp closed the safe door before sitting on it, trying to be casual. The door opened and Luffy blocked Nami and Robin from entering.

"Hey Luffy! Usopp!" Nami said with a wave.

"Hello captain-san, long-nose-kun." The boys chuckled nervously and waved as a greeting.

"H-hey Nami, Robin! How's it going?" Usopp asked, hiding his nerves with a big smile.

"What are you guys doing in here?" Nami asked.

"Doing? We're not doing anything! Why would we be doing something with Sanji out of the kitchen? We're not doing anything!" Luffy said so quickly that the girls and Usopp barely caught what he had just exclaimed. Usopp felt like smaking his forehead. _How can he be THAT BAD of a liar?_ He asked himself, ready with a BETTER explanation.

"What Luffy is TRYING to say is that Sanji had to step out for a few minutes and help Chopper with some medicines. He left us in charge of watching the kitchen and making sure that nothing went wrong!" Usopp said coolly. The lie came easily to the long nosed sniper and he even felt proud of how calmly he had explained it. "RIGHT, Luffy?" He asked the nervous captain with a wink.

"R-right! That's what we're doing!" Luffy said, finally picking up on Usopp's hint. Nami looked curiously at them.

"Really? Why would Sanji put HIM in charge of watching the KITCHEN?" Nami asked, pointing at Luffy.

"Well, he didn't put LUFFY in charge of course. He was already with me and decided to hang out in here with me until Sanji was done and we could go fish. Besides, Sanji knew I could handle our captain." Usopp explained, feeling more and more confidant that they could really pull off the plan. But he was still worried about the combo lock. How was he supposed to find a set of random numbers that he didn't even know before Sanji got back?

"Well then, we'll leave you-!"

"WHAT? THERE'S A PICTURE OF NAMI-SWAN NAKED SOMEWHERE IN OUR ROOM?" The scream made all four pirates jump before the infirmary door flew open and Sanji rushed down into the men's quarters with hearts bulging from his eyes.

"WHAT?" Nami yelped angrily as she stormed off to the men's quarters after Sanji. "WHERE THE HELL DID A NAKED PICTURE OF ME COME FROM? SOMEONE IS DEAD!" Robin chuckled and then looked back at Luffy and Usopp with a knowing smile.

"I am going to go help cook-san before navigator-san kills him. The combination is 12-15-22-5 incase you were wondering." Robin smiled and walked away without another word as Usopp and Luffy were left in shock. The archeologist was TOO smart sometimes. While the ruckus continued downstairs Usopp knelt back onto the floor and pulled open the first door before twisting the dial to the numbers that Robin has specified.

"12-15-22-5…" There was a small click. "GOT IT!" Usopp cheered quietly before opening the door. Luffy leapt but beside him and the two nakama looked into the safe at a beautiful pile of fresh cookies, arranged neatly on a plate. Luffy started to drool before he hugged Usopp tightly and laughed.

"We did it! We got them! Awesome job Usopp!" Luffy cheered as Usopp felt a burning pride rise up within him.

"W-well we did it together! And besides… I am the Great Captain Usopp! But there'll be time for gloating later, but for now we have to get these cookies and make our break for it!" Usopp started to pile the warm pastries in his hands. He grabbed an equal share for himself and Chopper while Luffy quickly snatched his share and stuffed them into his mouth. He chewed for a minute, taking in the amazing sweet tastes, the still partially gooey chocolate chips, the crunchy texture of the cookies themselves, and then swallowed. He sighed happily and patted his no longer growling stomach.

"Ah, that was delicious!" Luffy said with a huge grin while Usopp stuffed Chopper's share of cookies into his bag and stacked his share in his hands.

"Haha! This was our best plan EVER!" The two then started to head for the door. "I can't wait to see the look on Sanji's face when he realizes that-!" Usopp and Luffy stopped dead in their tracks when they found another man standing in the door way with his arms crossed and smoke drifting up slowly from a cigarette in his mouth. Usopp's mouth dropped open and all he could stammer was, "S-S-Sanji?"

The cook glared at Luffy and Usopp as he angrily bit the butt of his cigarette. "I told you not to even think about eating those cookies or I would kill you… So what are you two doing?" Sanji asked with a terrifying growl in his voice that made Usopp and Luffy shake. The sniper looked at his captain, then at the stacks of cookies in his hands, then up at Sanji, and then back at Luffy.

"W-w-w-well… uh… you see…" Sanji slowly raised his foot, preparing a swift collection of kicks for the two teens. Usopp swallowed nervously and then looked at Sanji. "I ate them." Luffy looked at Usopp with shock as Sanji raised his brow.

"All of them?"

"Yep."

"I don't see any crumbs on your mouth but I do on Luffy's."

"He tried to eat all of them at once but all he got was crumbs after I cleared the plate." Usopp looked at the cookies again and then in a last effort to save his captain he stuffed the two large stacks of baked goods into his mouth and chewed as well as he could manage. Sanji was infuriated and lifted his foot to Usopp's head.

"WHY YOU LITTLE-!"

_WHAM, BONK, THWUMP, BANG, CRASH, DONK, THWACK!_

* * *

The crew sat around the long galley table and prepared to eat Sanji's delicious meal that had been neatly arranged and beautifully prepared. Luffy looked at the various arrangement of meat excitedly as Chopper did the same. Sanji twirled gracefully to Nami and Robin with plates in hand and laid them gently on the table in front of them.

"There you are my angels." He said smoothly.

"Thank you Sanji-kun!"

"It looks delicious as always cook-san." Robin said sweetly as Sanji swooned over them.

"That is the greatest compliment a man could ever get! Do you need anything else my goddesses?" He sang.

"Oi, when am I gonna get my drink shitty cook?" Zoro growled from across the table.

"You can get it yourself you shitty marimo." The two were ready to go into a full blown fight but Franky stopped them with a laugh.

"Come on guys! Let's just eat this SUPER meal before it gets cold!"

"I DON'T HAVE ANY ARGUMENT WITH THAT!" Luffy cheered as his arms flung forward, grabbing handfuls of meat and various other types of food before tossing each piece into his mouth.

"Save some for the rest of us Luffy-san! YOHOHOHO! I am starving! Ah, but I am dead and a skeleton so I cannot starve! YOHOHOHO! Skull joke!" Chopper grabbed a chicken leg and then looked over at the kitchen sink. Chopper felt a slight guilt as he looked at his nakama who was cleaning a towering pile of dishes while the entire crew ate. He had saved Luffy from a horrible fate anyway, and had the injuries of a beating to prove it… So he didn't feel right eating while he did the labor for the unfortunate end to their plan. Chopper piled food onto a plate and then hopped down from his seat… only to be confronted by Sanji.

"Where are you going Chopper?" The doctor swallowed and then looked over sadly at Usopp.

"I'm going to give Usopp some of my food." Chopper explained. "I know you said that Usopp couldn't have dinner as punishment… but I don't want him to get hungry." Sanji was silent for a moment and then smiled.

"Okay. If you want to give him your food then go right ahead. I won't stop you." Chopper smiled widely and then nodded before hurrying to the sink. Sanji turned with a chuckle but was surprised when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and saw Luffy with two plates in his hands. "What are YOU doing?"

"I'm going to give Usopp some food too." Luffy said.

"… You know how lucky you are that Usopp took the rap for your little scheme don't you? You want to give him the food that you BARELY received tonight?" Luffy nodded immediately. Sanji laughed and then waved Luffy away before sitting down to eat his own meal. "Alright, alright. Go ahead. Tell Usopp I'm not mad anymore and he's off the hook. He can take a break washing and eat. Go on." Luffy smiled and then hurried around the table to the sink. The rest of the crew continued to talk as the cook shook his head with a chuckle.

Luffy walked up beside Chopper and Usopp as the small doctor hopped up onto the counter top and handed Usopp the plate. The sniper was covered in bruises with small bandages over them and his nose was tightly wrapped with white bandage. He looked at Chopper with surprise and confusion. "Here's a plate for you Usopp!"

"Really? For me?" Usopp asked. Chopper nodded and the sniper smiled. "Th-thanks, but '_sergeant Sanji'_ said I couldn't eat until all of these plates are SPOTLESS." Usopp pointed to the mountain of dirty plates and pans with a sigh. His hands were already red and pruned from scrubbing away for an hour straight.

"Sanji said that you could take a break and eat!" Luffy said, pushing a second plate across the counter to his sniper before sitting on the counter top next to Chopper. Usopp smiled happily and rubbed his watering eyes before taking a piece of meat from one of the plates and sat on the countertop with his nakama.

"Thanks guys." There was a sharp pain from the large bruise on his arm that caught him by surprise as he rubbed it cautiously.

"Sorry Usopp…" Luffy said, knowing that Usopp had taken the entire front of Sanji's rage to spare his captain of the same fate.

"Hey! It's no problem! It was a noble sacrifice for the great Captain Usopp. And besides…" Usopp grabbed his bag from the ground and opened it quietly, making sure that Sanji wouldn't see. He reached into the bag and withdrew his spoils from the vicious cook's attack. He handed Luffy and Chopper three cookies as the doctor and captain's eyes sparkled. "A noble sacrifice can have its rewards."

* * *

Lol Hooray for random stories. XD I hope you like the story! I thought the end was cute and funny and I had fun writing the entire thing. Oh! And did you notice something about Sanji's combo? 12= L 15=O 22=V 5= E ^-^. And I wanted to write this mainly to tell those of you who read my _SOMEDAY_ fanfic that I am having some computer problems. My entire motherboard crashed and I have to get all of my stories off of the hard drive (if possible) , including the latest chapter that I was working on and almost done with -_-.

Well, until I get the problems figured out and get the new chapter… I hope you all liked the fic! (Please review! If you want to.)


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